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Inequality, social comparisons and minimum income aspirations: Evidence from South Africa

  • Authors: Posel, Dorrit , Rogan, Michael
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Economic development -- South Africa South Africa -- Economic conditions South Africa -- Social policy Economic development -- Political aspects -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Book , Text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59510 , vital:27621 , ISBN 9780868106359 , DOI 10.21504/10962/59509
  • Description: We investigate the formation of minimum income aspirations in South Africa, a country with high rates of poverty together with very high and rising rates of inequality. A number of empirical studies in both developed and developing countries have shown that income aspirations increase with the individual’s own income and with the income of others in their community, relationships which are explained by processes of adaptation through habituation and social comparison. However, the relationship between income aspirations and inequality has received far less empirical attention. We analyse the minimum income question (MIQ) asked in nationally representative household survey from 2008/2009 to test for evidence of aspirations failure among the poor in South Africa, and to investigate whether high levels of local inequality dampen or stimulate minimum income aspirations, and particularly among those living in poverty.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Influence of sedimentological and hydrological processes on the distribution of the Spartina maritima salt marsh in the Keurbooms Estuary, Western Cape

  • Authors: Mfikili, Athi Nkosibonile
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Salt marshes -- South Africa -- Western Cape Estuarine hydrology -- South Africa -- Western Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13004 , vital:27143
  • Description: Salt marshes are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world and have been the centre of attention over the past few decades, due to their decline as a result of global climate change and anthropogenic impacts. The growth of salt marshes is determined by substrate type, soil conductivity and elevation. The permanently open Keurbooms Estuary along the south-east coast of South Africa is subjected to occasional fluvial flooding and its intertidal area lacks well developed salt marshes, with Spartina maritima restricted to the lower reaches of the Bitou tributary and a few sections of the Keurbooms tributary. Presumeably because of fine sediment habitat in the confluence and lower Bitou tributary. The salinity of the estuarine water ranges between 0.1 – 26.9 and 3.2 – 35.3 in the Bitou and Keurbooms tributaries respectively. A typical salt wedge salinity pattern is common in the Keurbooms tributary where saline water often intrudes underneath the freshwater, especially during high river flows. The following hypotheses were developed and tested in this study: The limited spatial distribution of S. maritima in the Keurbooms Estuary is due to limited availability of fine sediment habitat; and the source of the fine sediment in the estuary is the Bitou tributary rather than the Keurbooms tributary or the sea. It was further postulated that after sediment characteristics, floods are the major hydrological driver determining the distribution of S. maritima in the Keurbooms Estuary. The results of the surveys of the estuarine channel bottom sediments showed that the Keurbooms tributary was mostly characterized by the sand-size sediment fraction derived from the feldspathic and sandstone with evidence of fine sediment fractions restricted to the upper reaches at the confluence with Whiskey Creek. The Bitou was almost always composed of coarse sized sediments in the upper reaches, fine sediment deposits in the middle and lower reaches and medium sorted sand with almost no clay or calcium carbonate in the estuarine component below the confluence of the tributaries. These findings were further supported by the surface sediment deposited within the S. maritima intertidal salt marsh, which showed finer sediment deposits in the Bitou marsh compared to the Keurbooms marsh surface. Similar results were also found in the sediment cores, with the Keurbooms marsh sediment becoming finer with increasing depth whereas fine sediments reduced with depth in the Bitou marsh. The results of the sediment mineralogy indicated that the increased concentrations of clay minerals in the S. maritima surface sediments are derived from the Bokkeveld shale, siltstone and clay slate exposed above the N2 Bridge in the Keurbooms Estuary. GIS mapping shows that S. maritima has been declining over the past two decades, with rapid decreases especially evident after big flooding events. The GIS mapping also indicates that the patches of the S. maritima in the Keurbooms tributary are more exposed to big floods than the Bitou marsh. Despite showing an overall decline, S. maritima area coverage remained more consistent in the lower reaches of the Bitou tributary than in the Keurbooms tributary. Despite the larger and more persistent area cover, the S. maritima plants were shorter and less dense than the plants growing in the sandy substrate. The black/grey colouration of soil with increasing depth in the Bitou tributary was an indication of the reduced state of the soil caused by prolonged waterlogged conditions. The roots of S. maritima in both tributaries were mostly restricted to the sub-surface substrate layer (i.e. 0 – 0.25 m), although the Bitou populations showed more vegetative propagation than the Keurbooms populations. This mechanism of reproduction was also demonstrated during the transplant experiment which showed a greater number of new stem production in the fine sediment substrates compared to the sandy silt substrates. Although accretion rates were not determined in this study, the short-term sediment deposition rates revealed that sedimentation is active in the marshes of the Keurbooms Estuary. Therefore, in spite of showing a decline in area cover, the production of viable seed and observed vegetative propagation suggest that the S. maritima is likely to colonize open stable intertidal mudflats / sandflats, thus maintaining its distribution as an intertidal species in the salt marshes of the Keurbooms Estuary.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Informal urbanism : an appraisal of socio-legal and economic dynamics in East London, South Africa

  • Authors: Sibanda, Phaxenda Maxwell
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Street vendors -- Legal status, laws, etc Informal sector (Economics) -- Law and legislation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSoc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5763 , vital:29381
  • Description: Many cities and towns in the Global South continue to experience the growth of the informal sector. There are a number of reasons which explain the growth of the informal sector. These include formal sector retrenchments, shortage of jobs in the formal sector and lack of skills. Street vendors are the most visible traders in the informal sector as compared to other kind of traders. In many cities, the spaces in which vendors conduct their trading is not allocated to them legally as they are seen as a nuisance or obstruction to commerce and the free flow of traffic. Against this background, this study examines the contestation for vending in the East London Central Business District (CBD) Eastern Cape, South Africa. It specifically explores social processes and vendor decision making when it comes to choosing (or claiming) a particular vending space, the legal instruments (by-laws) that either promote or constrain informal trading activities. Furthermore, it investigates the extent to which street vending contributes to the traders‟ income generation and sustainable livelihoods. This study uses a qualitative research design. Purposive sampling was used to select thirty informal traders. In-depth semi structured interviews were conducted with all thirty respondents In addition to the thirty respondents, five key informants were interviewed. The study found that street vending plays a major role in providing BCMM people with livelihood opportunities. Trading space in the CBD is strictly competitive and the spaces they acquire are too small for their businesses to expand to another level. Vendors face a lot of challenges but at the epitome of their challenges is the vending by- laws which the vendors view as a major constraint when it comes to operating smoothly in the streets. The study suggested that vending polices and by- laws be reviewed in order to derive a better socio- economic and functional environment for vendors.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Information and propaganda in the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland with special reference to print and radio propaganda for Africans, 1953-1963

  • Authors: Zimudzi, Tapiwa Brown
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6957 , vital:21204
  • Description: This thesis contributes to the history of the information and propaganda policy and practice of the government of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland by examining this government's pro-Federation print and radio propaganda for Africans in the Federation. Using a multi-theoretical approach, it analyses the character of this propaganda, highlighting its main methods and themes as well as the policy considerations, plus political and economic circumstances that gave rise to it. It also discusses how Africans in the Federation reacted to this propaganda and assesses its effectiveness in gaining the support of these Africans for Federation and the policies of the Federal government. The thesis argues that Federal government propaganda aimed at gaining the support of Africans for Federation was predominantly panic-driven propaganda and was the product of an information panic that lay at the heart of the very idea of Federation itself. This information panic arose out of the Federal government's belated recognition of the strength of African opposition to Federation and of how this opposition seriously threatened the continued survival of the Federation. It is also argued that this panic-driven pro-Federation propaganda elicited largely hostile reactions from the majority of Africans in the Federation and failed to persuade them to support Federation.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Information as a service for dairy farmers

  • Authors: Hart, James Andrew
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Communication in agriculture -- South Africa Customer relations -- Management -- Agriculture -- Developing countries , Customer services -- Agriculture -- Developing countries
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/16000 , vital:28303
  • Description: Communication with an organisation’s customers has become one of the most important factors that play a role in doing business today. Organisations that supply their customers with correct and different kinds of information create customer loyalty. Dairy farmers are no exception to the rule, because of the ongoing planning that dairy farmers need to do on a daily basis. Dairy farming in South Africa is extremely price sensitive and therefore information that can help in decision making plays an important role in making the right decision at the right time. The Internet has become an essential environment where information is readily available to anyone who has access to the technologies, such as smartphones, computers and tablets. Thus, it will be beneficial for both the organisation and the dairy farmer to have relevant information available on the organisation’s website. The information that is made available to the dairy farmers on these websites needs to be updated on a daily basis. The information must be relevant to dairy farming and must provide additional information besides the information that the specific organisation specialises in. Information as a Service (IaaS) for Dairy Farmers in South Africa is the focus of this research. The purpose of the investigation is to provide a means of providing the information needed by dairy farmers in South Africa, to enable them to make the right decisions on an operational level. The empirical data were collected, analysed and interpreted. From these findings a proposed communications framework is created to assist organisations to better communicate with dairy farmers in South Africa. The purpose of this research study is to design a framework which will provide IaaS to dairy farmers in South Africa. The research determined the different ways in which organisations can communicate with dairy farmers and the best time period in which that communication should take place for each specific communication strategy. Therefore, the aim of the research study was to determine the best ways to communicate with dairy farmers. A clear knowledge of the technologies that dairy farmers use to manage information was determined by the research study. The required information that dairy farmers need to make the correct decisions suitable for the requirement of farming on a practical level was determined by the research study.The proposed framework on Information as a Service for Dairy Farmers could help organisations to supply dairy farmers with the right information at the right time. The proposed framework will assist organisations dealing with dairy farmers easier and will also assist farmers, because the information provided as a service will be relevant to dairy farming. The treatise is an exploratory, mixed method research study which consists of literature reviews, surveys and cross-sectional studies. Secondary resources was used to conduct literature studies to determine the information needed by dairy farmers. A questionnaire was compiled from existing questionnaires as well as from literature studies and was completed by the respective respondents in the dairy farming community. The survey also consists of questions that determine what dairy farmers think about the service they receive from the organisations that they deal with. A cross-sectional study was used to compare the information needed specifically by pasture-based dairy farmers in relation to total mixed-ration-based dairy farmers. Both Descriptive and Inferential Statistical methods will be used for the analysis of the data. The communication systems can vary from Self-Help Groups to Mobile Technology. The type of communication system will depend on the systems that the organisation have available for their customers. The timing of communication with dairy farmers needs to be convenient and depends, according to literature, on the type of social networking that the organisation might use. An organisation that deals with dairy farmers needs to decide which Social Media site is most suitable when it needs to communicate with dairy farmers. The technology used to access information consist of Laptops, Smart Phones, Tablets and Desktops. Agricultural organisations provide information which dairy farmers need, to give them the correct guidance in performing good farming practices in order to produce safe, high-quality milk. The study will conclude with the development of a proposed communications framework where agricultural organisations can provide information as a service to dairy farmers.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Inhalable particulate systems for anti-tubercular drug delivery

  • Authors: Nkanga, Christian Isalomboto
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/37966 , vital:24720
  • Description: Tuberculosis (TB) is a deadly infectious microbial disease that is currently dominating public health concerns. Among the pharmacological issues in the management of TB are the poor bioavailability of some anti-TB drugs, mostly due to the fast first-pass metabolism, and high drug load needed for combination therapy. These result in a lengthy treatment with several adverse effects causing decreased patient compliance. These factors often lead to the therapeutic failure and promote the development of drug resistant strains, justifying the urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. Liposomes are lipid-based particulate vehicles known to be the most clinically appointed drug carriers currently. Liposomal systems are reported to be rapidly engulfed by macrophages - where the mycobacterium often resides. This makes liposomes appropriate vehicles for targeted anti-TB drug delivery. Many research groups have reported the potential of liposomes systems to deliver anti-TB drugs. However, the costly formulation status of liposomes, due the use of expensive synthetic or highly purified natural phospholipids, is a limitation to the treatment of a poverty related infectious disease like TB. The aim of this study was to design and develop liposomes for pulmonary delivery of anti-TB drugs using crude soybean lecithin (CL) and its purirified version. CL is an FDA- approved naturally occurring phospholipid mixture that is quite cheap and readily available. Various liposome batches were prepared using a film hydration method and characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Liposomes composed of CL and cholesterol (Chol) in a 3:1 mass ratio were selected for drug encapsulation based on the following characteristics: polydispersity index (PDI, 0.28), mean particles sizes (PS, 502 nm) and zeta potential (ZP, -56 mV). Isoniazid (INH) was encapsulated as a model drug using a freeze-thaw loading technique and an HPLC method was validated for quantitative analysis. The physicochemical properties of INH-loaded liposomes were comprehensively investigated using thermal, microscopy and spectroscopic techniques. This formulation showed a high encapsulation efficiency (%EE) of 78%, much better than the liposomes made from purified lecithin, 20%. Other characteristics of INH- loaded liposomes, which make them attractive for pulmonary TB therapy, are presented in this dissertation. These include a controlled release of 50% of the encapsulated INH over 12 hours. Finally, rifampicin (RIF) was added as a hydrophobic model drug and several evaluations were conducted on these dual drug-loaded liposomes. Of particular interest, it was noted that the dual drug-loaded liposomes made of CL alone showed the highest %EE (59% for INH and 90% for RIF) compared to those containing Chol or those made of purified lecithin. Surprisingly, the average PS of the dual CL-based liposomes (1114 nm) was in the size range reported for optimum deep lung deposition and macrophage uptake. In addition, the mean ZP of these liposomes (-63 mV) seems to be favourable for their shelf stability and internalization by macrophages. Overall, these findings show that the dual CL-based liposomes developed would be promising for macrophage-targeting pulmonary delivery of anti-TB drugs.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Integrating Afrocentric approaches for meaningful learning of science concepts

  • Authors: Chikunda, Charles , Ngcoza, Kenneth M
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/436248 , vital:73252 , ISBN 978-3-319-45989-9 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45989-9_
  • Description: Economic and social development in any modern country re-lies heavily on a sound scientific and technological base. Es-sentially, science constitutes an area of any nation’s education system where many of the skills that are needed to stimulate development are learned, such as securing good health, fighting diseases, protecting the environment, farming and de-veloping agriculture and developing new industries and tech-nologies and even building resilience to climate change. There is a need therefore for a country to harness the intellectual and scientific capacity of its young people. Ironically, however, sci-ence (especially physical sciences) is one of the least popular areas within the educational system of most developing countries. Research shows that students’ and especially girls’ low interest in science and their relatively negative attitudes are at least partially attributed to the way science is taught at school.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Integrating biodiversity considerations into urban golf courses: Managers’ perceptions and woody plant diversity in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Jarrett, Mitchell , Shackleton, Charlie M
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/180353 , vital:43356 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1747423X.2017.1325525"
  • Description: Rapid rates of urbanisation affect biodiversity through habitat fragmentation and loss. Because urban golf courses are large green spaces, they potentially harbour much biodiversity if managed for such. The area of untransformed land of golf courses in the Eastern Cape (South Africa) was determined using Geographic Information System (GIS), the woody plant composition of a subsample was determined by field sampling and the greenkeepers were interviewed. There was a significant relationship between climate and woody cover, species richness and percentage native plants but not species diversity. There was no relationship between management scores and species richness, diversity and percentage native. Significant relationships were evident between woody plant species richness and course income, number of grounds staff, number of club members and greenkeepers’ years of experience. These results suggest a complex suite of factors that play a role in the woody plant composition of urban golf courses and their contribution to urban biodiversity.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Integrating Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) for greater local level resilience: lessons from a multi-stakeholder think-tank

  • Authors: Pereira, Taryn , Shackleton, Sheona E , Donkor, Felix Kwabena
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Climatic changes -- South Africa , Climatic changes -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62027 , vital:28097
  • Description: The last few years have seen one of the most severe droughts in recent times in the southern African region, and news headlines are increasingly full of warnings about heavy storms, fires and floods. There is no doubt that extreme hydro-meteorological events, and their multiple and potentially disastrous impacts, are at the forefront of the public consciousness at the present time and are one of the key concerns regarding the impacts of climate change in the region. While the links between extreme climate events, disaster risk reduction (DRR - see Box 1) and climate change adaptation (CCA - see Box 2) are recognised in the South African Climate Change White Paper, this is not the case for the whole region. Furthermore, even if there is national recognition of the need to synergise these two spheres of endeavour, this does not always trickle down to effective policy, planning and implementation at the local level.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Integrating local indigenous knowledge in the teaching of water conservation by senior primary school Natural Science teachers: a Namibian case study

  • Authors: Visagie, Ronald Arnold
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6907 , vital:21199
  • Description: The conservation of biodiversity to meet the needs and aspirations of present and future generations is a cornerstone for sustainable development. In response to this, one of the aims of Basic Education in Namibia is to develop an environmentally friendly society which has a concern for the conservation of water. Thus, the National Curriculum of Basic Education [NCBE], 2010, p. 8) expects Grade 6 Natural Science learners to be competent in using simple scientific models, methods and skills to make scientific sense of the natural environment; and most importantly for the learners to relate the implications of this scientific understanding to their personal and social health and the sustainable use of all natural resources for future generations. Additionally, teachers are encouraged to make innovative use of various knowledge systems including indigenous knowledge. However, there is no mention of how teachers should make use of local indigenous knowledge (IK) when teaching the topic on water conservation in particular. It is against this backdrop that in this study I sought to understand how two Grade 6 Natural Science teachers use local indigenous knowledge in their classrooms to teach the topic of water conservation. This interpretive case study was carried out in collaboration with a rural community in the Erongo region. Data were collected in three stages. The first stage was the gathering of information through document analysis to strengthen my context. Documents such as the National Curriculum, Science Curriculum, Syllabi, Grade 6 Natural Science textbooks and SATs results were analysed to gain some insight and understanding of the issue before conducting interviews. In the second phase of this study I conducted semi-structured interviews with the Topnaar community members and two teachers. This was followed by classroom observations. Additionally, I used stimulated recall interviews (SRI) to provide clarity on how teachers use prior knowledge and mediate learning when teaching the topic water conservation using indigenous knowledge. The study is informed by Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural theory in conjunction with Shulman’s (1986) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Since a classroom is a social unit where interactions occur between teachers and learners, and learners and learners, these theories provided a useful lens for observing lessons and analysing teachers’ content knowledge and how they mediate learning using local indigenous knowledge. A thematic approach to data analysis was adopted and qualitative data were analysed inductively. The findings of the study revealed that the indigenous knowledge amongst the Topnaars are governed by the ideals of Ubuntu. Findings also revealed that proper planning is needed to incorporate IK into science lessons as it may clear up misconceptions that may arise from indigenous knowledge. The study recommends that teachers and curriculum planners should explore different indigenous practices that are linked to the topics in the curriculum or syllabus to enhance learning and teaching in their science classrooms. It also recommends that curriculum developers, with the help of subject advisors, teachers and community members, should start planning on how indigenous knowledge can best be integrated into science textbooks as it has become a hindrance for the teachers to incorporate it.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Integrating writing development in curricula: writing intensive project case studies

  • Authors: Thomson, Carol I
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Book , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59580 , vital:27628
  • Description: These case studies come from work done in the Writing Intensive Project (WIP) from its inception in 2013 until 2016 when formal funding from a Teacher Development Grant from the National Department of Higher Education ended. The project was unique for Rhodes University as it was the first time an intervention of this kind had ever been directed specifically at undergraduate writing development and support in the disciplines, and secondly, that participation by discipline-based academics in the project was entirely voluntary, thereby exemplifying a significant level of agency.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Integration of Eucalyptus coppice regeneration with mechanical harvesting in South Africa

  • Authors: Schwegman, Kylle , Ackerman, S A
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Eucalyptus -- Regeneration Harvesting machinery
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21131 , vital:29443
  • Description: In South Africa, ca. 530 000 ha of the plantation area is planted to Eucalyptus spp. which are native to Australia. Commercially grown hardwoods account for 40.5% of the total area planted to trees, yet contribute more than 70% of the timber to the pulpwood market. This is largely attributed to the superior quality of fibre and pulping properties associated with eucalypt plantations, increases in global short-fibre pulp demands. This as well as the ability to reduce the temporary unplanted period and associated re-establishment costs when choosing to regenerate a stand through coppice management. With the unlikelihood of additional eucalypts being introduced into South Africa, and a reduction in genetic gains from 3rd-4th generation tree breading programmes, most of the eucalypts currently planted will be managed for at least one coppice rotation before replanting with improved genetic material if available. This together with the increased use of mechanised silvicultural and harvesting operations, concerns have been raised as to whether the integration of Eucalyptus coppice regeneration and mechanical harvesting in South Africa is both possible and financially viable for the forest industry to practise. The need for integration becomes more important as often mechanised systems have smaller tolerance levels when compared to manual systems. The first trial was situated in Zululand and was implemented to determine the type and severity of stump damage, coppicing potential and coppice growth over the rotation, associated with four types of harvesting and extraction systems on coppice regeneration. Results obtained from these four treatments (harvesting systems that ranged from manual to fully mechanised cut-to-length systems), found that irrespective of the harvesting system used, more damage occurred to the top than bottom half of the stump, with a significant decrease in coppice regrowth with increasing stump damage. Most damage and least coppice regrowth occurred in the extraction rows where the damage recorded could be attributed to vehicle movement, tear-outs and/or log stripping. There was no significant difference between the harvesting systems in terms of stump mortality, final stem stocking and rotation-end volume. Although this trial indicates that the harvesting systems tested had no impact on tree production the severity of damage and/or difference may have been masked by the excellent coppice potential of the species used for this trial (E. grandis x E. urophylla). Based on the results obtained in the first trial, and using five existing data sets, each data set consisted of four treatment sub-sets (4m_8m_s; 2m_8m_s; 4m_8m_BOP; 2m_8m_Or) where possible to determine the cost benefits associated with each treatment at various levels of stocking over a full rotation period. BOP (best operating practice) and Or (original stocking) refers to treatments with two stems stump-1, and s (single stem) refers to one stem stump-1. Within each of the four treatment sub-sets, treatments with three levels of stump survival were sought (60%; 80%; 100%), in order to assess financial viability of harvesting different coppice regimes (one coppice stem and two coppiced stems stump-1) using a fully mechanised cut-to-length harvesting system was tested. No differences were found between one coppice stem and two coppiced stems stump-1 in terms of financial returns (internal rate of return). Of the four treatment sub-sets (4m_8m_s; 2m_8m_s; 4m_8m_BOP; 2m_8m_Or), treatments which had two coppice stems stump-1 lead to increased harvesting cost, while coppice stumps with one stem favours mechanised harvesting and reduced harvesting costs. The final trial, which was also implemented in Zululand, tested the timing of reduction of one coppice stem stump-1 at various stump and stem densities in order to develop an appropriate coppice regime that could favour fully mechanised CTL harvesting systems. Although significant differences were detected at 23 months between the additional control (current recommendation) and the various Reduction_ht (3.5 m, 4.5 m, and 6.5 m) treatments for Dbh, Ba, and Stocking. It is likely that these differences may become less with time due to the decrease in absolute and relative differences between the various treatments with time. This thesis indicates that it is possible to successfully integrate eucalypt coppice regeneration and fully mechanised CTL harvesting. As the results obtained showed that despite the harvesting-associated damage found, no significant difference occurred between the harvesting systems tested in terms of stump mortality, stem stocking (after the final reduction) and rotation-end volume. With regards to the financial implications (using internal rates of return - IRR) associated with harvesting coppice stands of one or two stems stump-1, no clear cost-benefits were found between either of these two treatment scenarios. As those factors that contribute to increased volumes per hectare (increased stem numbers and the retention of two stems stump-1), tend to become normalised across a treatment sub-set, this results in increased harvesting costs with a reduction in the IRR. Coppice management regimes need to be investigated that favour fully mechanised CTL harvesting systems (fewer stems to harvest, but with increased volumes per stem). This includes a reduction to one stem stump-1, as opposed to the current recommendations where some stumps have two stems, such as was tested in the final trial. Although initial results were promising, rotation-end data would be needed to determine any longer term impacts from carrying out an early thinning of coppice shoots to one stem stump-1. Future research needs to be carried out to: determine the influence of mechanised harvesting and extraction for difference species of eucalypts, especially for those that do not coppice as well as the species tested in these trials (Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla), develop harvesting productivity and/or volume models for coppiced stands of one and two stems stump-1 for different Eucalyptus spp., determine financial returns using specifically designed coppice management regimes which optimise the integration of both mechanical harvesting and silvicultural perations.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Intellectualisation of isiXhosa literature: the case of Jeff Opland

  • Authors: Kaschula, Russell H
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67030 , vital:29022 , https://doi.org/10.17159/2309-9070/tvl.v.54i2.413
  • Description: publisher version , The origins of the intellectualisation of written isiXhosa literature are often attributed to the missionaries John Ross and John Bennie. They set up a printing press in the Tyhume Valley which later became known as Lovedale Press. They introduced written isiXhosa in 1823 and for this they are acknowledged as the first to write and publish in isiXhosa. This article attempts to trace this intellectualisation process of isiXhosa literature, concentrating on a critique and assessment of the life-long work of Professor Jeff Opland, who has contributed enormously to the present understanding of both oral and written isiXhosa literature. It is argued in this article that his corpus of books and academic articles require some contextualisation within the broader debate of the continued intellectualisation of isiXhosa language and literature. Reference is also made to the Opland isiXhosa literature archive and its contribution to the further intellectualisation of isiXhosa literature. It is suggested in this article that Opland is one of the greatest contributors to academic debates concerning isiXhosa literature and history. Izibongo or oral poems written by, and about Jeff Opland are analysed to further enhance the context of his contribution.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Intelligence based error detection and classification for 3D measurement systems

  • Authors: Van Rooyen, Ivän Jan-Richard
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Computer integrated manufacturing systems Manufacturing processes -- Automation , Computers, Special purpose Neural networks (Computer science)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEng
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21241 , vital:29461
  • Description: For many years 2D machine vision has been used to perform automated inspection and measuring in the manufacturing environment. A strong drive to automate manufacturing has meant improvements in robotics and sensor technologies. So has machine vision seen a steady movement away from 2D and towards 3D. It is necessary to research and develop software that can use these new 3D sensing equipment in novel and useful ways. One task that is particularly useful, for a variety of situations is object recognition. It was hypothesised that it should be possible to train artificial neural networks to recognise 3D objects. For this purpose a 3D laser scanner was developed. This scanner and its software was developed and tested first in a virtual environment and what was learned there was then used to implemented an actual scanner. This scanner served the purpose of verifying what was done in the virtual environment. Neural networks of different sized were trained to establish whether they are a feasible classifier for the task of object recognition. Testing showed that, with the correct preprocessing, it is possible to perform 3D object recognition on simple geometric shapes by means of artificial neural networks.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Inter-generational dynamics of smallholder farming households : a case study of family farms at Bumbane and Emagaleni villages, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Sixoto, Wandisile
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Family farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Family-owned business enterprises -- Succession
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Agric
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/7886 , vital:30791
  • Description: This research investigates the inter-generational dynamics of smallholder farming households and their implications for the future of agriculture in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The study was conducted in two villages, of which one, Bumbane, is in Amahlathi Local Municipality, and the other, Emagaleni, is in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality. The study was mainly qualitative in nature, and involved semi structured, in-depth interviews with small-scale farming households. In particular, interviews were conducted with both youth and elders in the same households, so as to deeply understand the inter-relationships between the two. The study established that there is an age-based hierarchy in most farming families whereby the household head is ‘in charge’ and allows little input from or discretion of his/her adult children. For example, most household heads are not comfortable sharing decision-making authority with adult children, which alienates these adult children. This is the case even though household heads are keen to transfer their knowledge to their children, and hope that their children will one day take over the farming. The discord between household heads and their adult child is one of the reasons why the youth tend to dedicate little of their time to helping out with the farming. On the other hand, the youth are also discouraged from agriculture by other factors, such as production constraints and poor access to markets These intergenerational dynamics may pose a threat to the future of family farming in these and similar communities. The paper concludes that, in as much as household heads learnt agriculture through a participatory approach, there is a necessity to change the strategy and emphasise motivating young adults through farmers’ days and other gatherings that may serve as an inspiration. Alternatively, elders need to be coaxed to adopt a more thoughtful approach to engaging their adult children in agriculture that has a better possibility of encouraging their participation in agriculture rather than discouraging it. The participatory approach must not be the only option, since females do not get the opportunity to be motivated as most of the talks happen on the field.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Inter-role conflict and coping strategies of employed mothers : a study of selected private schools in the Mthatha area of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Tegbe, Dzigbordi
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Role conflict Working mothers Women -- Employment , Children of working mothers
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSoc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/7830 , vital:30768
  • Description: Working women are finding it increasingly challenging to establish a balance between work and family life. This often results in work-family conflicts which affect women teachers’ well-being. The current study utilised role theory to investigate the effect of work-family conflicts on work related income, using the Mthatha community as case study. The study explored the impact of inter-role conflict on stress related illness and the coping strategies working women can adopt to create work-family balance. The motivation of the study is based on limited research regarding the impact of work-family on South African working mothers, where feminisation of labour force is compelling women to devote more time to their work roles thus neglecting their traditional roles as mothers. The research design used a cross section survey, and the sampling procedure applied a multi-stage concept of data collection, where both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to delve into the issues of inter-role conflict and coping strategies of employed mother-teachers, to establish causal relationships geared towards explaining the phenomena. The population consisted of working mothers in Mthatha private schools, where data was collected using a work-family conflict questionnaire. The results of the study established a positive relationship between the multi-tasking of mother-teachers and inter-role conflicts, and also confirmed that work roles/tasks have become overwhelming. Consequently, working women families are neglected, while support from extended families is not coming or is insufficient to alleviate the burdens of role conflicts. The conflicts lead to stress-related illnesses and individually, women are not interested in consulting psychologists to manage their stress. The women suffer ailments such as headaches, general pains, sleep dysfunction, high or low blood pressure, heart diseases, and become moody and tearful, expressing low self-esteem. Women teachers in Mthatha were of the view that proper strategies are needed to mitigate their stress. Some of these coping strategies involve a good condition of service at school, refraining from applying medication to solve stress, taking part in exercise and rest, and having a relaxing time with family and friends. The findings of this study can help through suggesting useful strategies that can be utilised by working teachers who are mothers to mitigate their inter-role conflict. It will also lead to more insight into role theories.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Interacting motif networks located in hotspots associated with RNA release are conserved in Enterovirus capsids

  • Authors: Ross, Caroline J , Knox, Caroline M , Tastan Bishop, Özlem
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124855 , vital:35704 , https://doi.10.1002/1873-3468.12663
  • Description: Enteroviruses are responsible for a multitude of human diseases. Expansion of the virus capsid is associated with a cascade of conformational changes that allow the subsequent release of RNA. For the first time, this study presents a comprehensive bioinformatic screen for the prediction of interacting motifs within intraprotomer interfaces and across respective interfaces surrounding the fivefold and twofold axes. The results identify a network of conserved motif residues involved in interactions in enteroviruses that may be critical to capsid stabilisation, providing guidelines towards developing antivirals that interfere with viral expansion during RNA release.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Interactions between two biological control agents released on Pereskia aculeata Miller (Cactaceae), in South Africa

  • Authors: Mnqeta, Zezethu
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Pereskia aculeata -- Biological control , Cactus -- Biological control -- South Africa , Alien plants -- Biological control -- South Africa , Flea beetles -- South Africa , Coreidae -- South Africa , Insects as biological pest control agents -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/7949 , vital:21327
  • Description: Pereskia aculeata Miller (Cactaceae) is an alien invasive plant introduced into South Africa from Brazil, which has negative impacts on native biodiversity in South Africa. Phenrica guerini Bechyne (Chrysomelidae) and Catorhintha schaffneri Brailovsky & Garcia (Coreidae) are two biological control agents released against P. aculeata in South Africa. Phenrica guerini was first released against P. aculeata, in 1991, followed by C. schaffneri in 2014. The overall aim of this study was to improve the biological control programme against P. aculeata in order to decrease its density to a level where it does not threaten the native biodiversity of South Africa. The first part of this study evaluated the efficacy of P. guerini on P. aculeata at Port Alfred (Eastern Cape) to better understand the role of P. guerini in the biological control of P. aculeata. An insecticide exclusion experiment was conducted over 100 days. Plots with P. guerini had a mean of 187 (SE ± 62) fewer leaves/m2 than plots without P. guerini. The agent reduced percentage cover in plots with P. guerini, with a mean of 19.42% (SE ± 3.15) lower cover than plots without P. guerini. Although P. guerini had an impact on P. aculeata at Port Alfred previous studies have indicated that a reduction to below 50% cover is required for native biodiversity to recover and the agent only reduced cover to 62% at Port Alfred. Phenrica guerini has therefore not reduced percentage cover sufficiently to completely control the weed. The data collected from Port Alfred was compared to the performance of the agent nationwide. Although P. guerini was found at far more sites than previously recorded, there were very few sites with comparable levels of damage to Port Alfred. This evidence suggests that P. guerini is not sufficiently damaging to reduce P. aculeata to acceptable levels and other biological control agents should be considered.Interactions between two biological control agents can have complex and unexpected impacts for a biological control programme. The second part of this study was to investigate interactions between C. schaffneri and P. guerini under laboratory conditions to test whether the two agents, individually or jointly, enhanced or reduced their impact on P. aculeata. Potted P. aculeata plants were exposed to one of four treatments: control (no agents), P. guerini only, C. schaffneri only and both species in combination. Four stocking densities, ranging from 2 to 12 insects per plant were used. Catorhintha schaffneri alone at high densities was more damaging than all other treatments with a significantly greater reduction in the mean number of leaves, 11.7 (SE ± 1.29), and shoot lengths, 2.17cm (SE ± O. 75). Even at lower density treatments, the combination of the two agents was not significantly more damaging than C. schaffneri alone and C. schaffneri was always more damaging than P. guerini alone. Mortality of P. guerini was significantly higher than C. schaffneri at the highest stocking density when in combination. Phenrica guerini contributes towards the biological control of P. aculeata at some sites in South Africa but not enough to completely control the weed. The antagonistic interaction between P. guerini and C. schaffneri suggests that these agents should not be released together because this would impact negatively on the overall biocontrol programme against P. aculeata. Catorhintha schaffneri should be released at sites were P. guerini is not present and evaluations of the success of this agent in the field should be conducted. Extrapolation of laboratory-based studies into the field is often challenging so mass-rearing of P. guerini should continue until there is convincing proof that C. schaffneri alone is more effective than P. guerini in the field.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Intergenerational learning and environmental care: a case of a fishing community next to Africa’s first marine protected area

  • Authors: Cloete, Cindy-Lee
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Tsitsikamma Marine Protected Area (South Africa) , Covie (South Africa) , Intergenerational relations -- South Africa -- Covie , Intergenerational communication -- South Africa -- Covie , Fishing villages -- South Africa -- Covie , Sustainable fisheries -- South Africa -- Covie , Environmental education -- South Africa -- Covie
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/7598 , vital:21277
  • Description: This study explored the relationship between intergenerational learning and environmental care in the small fishing community of Covie, located next to the Tsitsikamma Marine Protected Area (TMPA) on the south-eastern coast of South Africa. Since Covie’s establishment as a woodcutter settlement in 1883, the community has depended on the marine and coastal environment such that their communal identity and basic means of subsistence are closely tied to their traditional fishing practices. Since its proclamation in 1964, the TMPA has undergone numerous policy changes, most notably the complete closure of the TMPA to fishing in 2001. Against this backdrop, the study sought to understand how intergenerational learning about fishing practices are mediated in Covie and the ways in which such learning processes constitute a sense of place and belonging for the Covie fishers, and to develop a sense of care for the natural environment. The study included 12 Covie community members of different generations and genders so as to be representative of the community (approximately 86 members). The research was informed by qualitative data generated through a focus group discussion with eight Covie community members, a mirror workshop with the same eight community members, eight semi-structured interviews, and five naturalistic observations of fishing practices. Data generation and analysis was informed by Etienne Wenger’s theory of Communities of Practice which was complemented by theoretical perspectives on intergenerational learning and attachment to place. This study found that the Covie fishers indeed operate as a community of practice who depend significantly on intergenerational learning processes to transfer knowledge, skills and values about fishing practices to younger generations. The 2001 policy changes that denied the Covie fishers access to their traditional fishing sites were shown to reduce the participation in fishing of a range of community members (in particular children and women), which in turn influenced forms of intergenerational learning about fishing. The youth’s reduced participation especially was linked to more protracted and fragmented processes of learning about fishing and Covie’s code of fishing conduct, including its underpinning sense of environmental care. Finally, this study argues that the affective and socio-material connections to their natural surroundings have shaped the Covie community’s sense of care and responsibility toward the environment.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Internal service quality impacts on customer satisfaction in the Department of Roads and Public Works Sarah Baartman Region

  • Authors: Mooi, Mzingisi
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Consumer satisfaction -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Customer services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Quality control Total quality management -- Government Civil service -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19146 , vital:28777
  • Description: The main objective of this study is to determine the impacts of internal service quality on customer satisfaction with specific reference to Department of Roads and Public Works Sarah Baartman Region (DRPW-SBR). The provision of high quality internal services to customers through policies and systems that support service delivery has a huge impact on customer satisfaction. Public organisations are generally criticised for service delivery inefficiencies and poor quality services; the DRPW-SBR is not an exception from such criticism. A study of this nature can be considered as a valuable undertaking that provides valuable insight as to the important internal service quality factors hindering DRPW-SBR from delivering services and satisfying customers. The study was specifically looking at investigating internal service quality dimensions as measured by the way of professionalism, responsiveness, tangibility, flexibility and reliability, play in the achievement of perceived customer satisfaction within DRPW-SBR. The research was set up in such a way that internal customers who were employees of DRPW-SBR and external customers who were employees of other departments served by DRPW-SBR, constituted the sample participants. The methodology considered most suitable was a quantitative research whereby questionnaires were utilised to collect primary data. The questionnaires were based on a five-point Likert scale measuring instruments that ranged from (1) strongly disagree to (5) strongly agree. Questionnaires were distributed to those respondents selected of whom 101 respondents participated; the results were calculated using a STATISTICA program. The key findings indicated that internal service quality played a vital role in achieving perceived customer satisfaction. Important internal service dimensions that were found to be significant in increasing perceived customer satisfaction within DRPW -SBR were reliability, flexibility and professionalism. Responsiveness and tangibility were found not to exert positive influence on perceived customer satisfaction within DRPW-SBR.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2017
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